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Cusick's milkvetch
Scientific Name: Astragalus cusickii var. cusickii
Family: Fabaceae
Category: Dicot
Growth: Forb/herb
Duration: Perennial
Other Names: WA (Cusick's milk-vetch)
Cusick's Milkvetch (Astragalus cusickii)
Cusick's Milkvetch, scientifically known as Astragalus cusickii A. Gray, is a perennial forb native to the intermountain west region of the United States. It is also commonly referred to as locoweed. The plant is a non-woody herb and not a grass.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Astragalus cusickii A. Gray
- Common Name: Cusick's Milkvetch
- Family: Fabaceae (Pea family)
- Genus: Astragalus
Subordinate taxa of Astragalus cusickii include:
- Astragalus cusickii A. Gray var. cusickii
- Astragalus cusickii A. Gray var. flexilipes Barneby
- Astragalus cusickii var. sterilis (Barneby) Barneby (Sterile milkvetch)
Distribution and Habitat
- Endemic to the intermountain west region of the United States.
- Observed along Oregon Highway 3 near the Oregon-Washington Border.
- Presence confirmed in Idaho.
Morphological Characteristics
- Blooms from May to July.
- Habit: Herb.
- Duration: Perennial.
- Erect growth habit. The lower part of the stem is generally bare, with ramifications developing towards the top.
Associated Species
The provided text mentions other plants with the "Cusick's" epithet, suggesting a shared geographical distribution or association:
- Camassia cusickii (Cusick's Camas)
- Chaenactis cusickii (Cusick's False Yarrow)
- Castilleja cusickii (Cusick's Indian paintbrush)
- Lathyrus nevadensis ssp. cusickii (Cusick's Peavine)
- Lupinus cusickii (Cusick's lupine)
Further Information
- Reference article: Barneby, R. C. 1989. Fabales, In: A. Cronquist, A. H. Holmgren, N. H. Holmgren, J. L. Reveal.
- Population monitoring of Cusick's lupine tracked in Baker County, Oregon.